Improvement in electric signaling apparatus for railroads



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improvement in Electric Signaling Apparatus for Railroads- No. 129,408.

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Patented July 16,'1872.

Improvement in Electric Signaling Apparatus for Railroads.

No. 129,408, Patentedluly 16,1872.

WW I} 'y EH r 7/ I 2 /2 Zara" 1 .or draw-bridge.

. in the method of accomplishing the result re- STEPHEN o. rrnNDRIo soN, or BROOKL N, E. 1)., NEW YOIK,"AND FRANK I Porn, or ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN ELECTRIC'S IGNALING APPARATUS FOR RAILROADS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. H29A08, dated J u'ly 16, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, STEPHEN G. HEN- DRICKSON, of Brooklyn, E. D., in the county of Kings and State of New York, and FRANK L. POPE, of Elizabeth, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Electric Signaling Apparatus;

and we hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description" of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in which- .1.

Figure 1 is a view of the apparatus for exhibiting signals and sounding alarms, showing the manner in which the said signals and alarms are arranged and operated by theelectric current. Fig. 2 is a detached view of the apparatus by means of which the vertical shaft carrying the signal is caused to revolve. Figs. 3 and tillustrate modificationsin the method of mechanically connecting the armature of the electro-magnet with the vertical rotating shaft carrying the signals. Fig. 5 shows'an arrangement for closing an "electric circuit which isoperated automatically by the passage of a locomotive or train upon a railway. Fig. 6 shows a mode of'closing and breaking an electric circuit, which is operated by a suitable attachment to the movable rail of a switch Fig. 7 shows a modification ferred to in Fig.6. Fig. 8 is a skeleton diagram, showing the mode of arranging the connections for operating the signals automatically by the passage of a locomotive or train. Fig. 9 is askeleton diagram, showing the mode of arranging the connections for operating the signals in connection with a switch, or draw-- bridge, orlaterally movable rails.

The nature of this invention-consists in an improved arrange'mentof visual or semaphoric railway-signals operated atadistance by means of an: electric current, said current. being brought into action either automatically by the passageof alocomotive or train operating a suitable circuit-closer, or in other cases by attaching a circuit-closer to the movable rails of aswitch or draw-bridge The invention further consists in combining such semaphoric signal or; signals with a bell operated by a suitable revolving electro-motor, and also in certain improved appliances for closing and breaking said electro-circuit.

In Fig. 1, A is a vertical upright shaft or spindle placed upon a suitablcalupport or base, I), in such a manner as to revolve freely about its axis. The upper end of the spindle sup ports a lantern, O, which is, preferably, oi'rect angular shape, and which is constructed with colored glasses,'so that when turned through one-fourth of a revolution it exhibits a light of a different color from the one shown when in its normal position. B is a metallic hoop covered with suitably-colored cloth, and se-. cured to the spindle A, forming a conspicuous signal when in the proper position. A spiral screw-thread a, Figs. 1 and 2, is arranged upon the lower part of'the spindle A, so as to make This about one and one-half turns around it. forms a track for the rollers d d, (see Figs. 1 ,and 2,) which are attached in the manner clearly shown in said figures to the extremity of the lever D, upon which is placed the armature e of the electro-magnet E. In the said figures two sets of rollers are shown, together" with two levers, D and .D, and-two electromagnets, E and E, acting in conjunction with each other upon the same screw-thread a and spindle A. This arrangement We consider preferable, although, if desired, the apparatus may be operated with a single electro-magnet lever and rollers.

The combination of thelever D, rollers cl d,

and spiral track a with the vertical spindle A is an improvement upon the device shown in Hendricksons Patent No. 115,610, of June 6, 1871, as the friction of the moving parts is greatly reduced, and the apparatus is thereby made to operate with more certaintyand with a battery of smaller power.

It is obvious that the attractive force of the electro-magnets E and E, when exerted uponthe armatures e and 6', will act to depress the levers D and D. The pressure of the rollers (it and d against the spindle A causes it to movethrough one-fourth of a. complete revolution, carrying with it the signal B andlantern O, which will now stand at right angles to their former positions. Whcn the attract-ion of the electro-magnets ceases the retractile force of the springs'c 0 will cause the whole apparatus to resume its original position.

. at G.

'- The manner in which the electric current. which operates the electro-magnet's E and E, is brought into action 'will now be explained,

, O,Figs. 1 and 8, is agalvanic battery of anysuitable construction, from which proceed two distinct circuits, one in each direction along the line of the railway, to the point from whence it is desired to operate the signal, and

. including in its return to the battery the respective relay-magnets M and M. 1 This will be understood more particularly by reference to Fig. 8, in which these circuits are shown in dotted lines parallel with the rails R R. The manner in which; the circuit-closers ac y are automatically operated by the passage of a locomotive or train will hereafter be shown.

The two relay-magnets M and M exert their attraction in opposite directions upon the same armature, m,fixe'd upon the lever H. The lever I H acts upon a pin, fixed on a segment pivoted at g, carrying an angularly-bent wire, whose twoextremities, h and h, project downward into two vessels,G and G,partially filled either with mercury,metallic filings, or metal in a finely-divided state. The arm h is so arranged that when the relay M is in action it will dip into the metal in the vessel G and form an electrical connection, as shown in. the figure; but if the relay M is in action, the arm h will'assume the position shown in the dotted lines and be entirely withdrawn from the metal in G, thus breaking the electrical connection. The arm h is so adjusted as to be constantly in contact with the metal in the vessel G, and the connection unbroken,whatever its position may be. The electric circuit passing through the vesselsG and G leaves the local battery F at 1, and passes through the, point 2 and the electromagnets E and E, returning to the other pole of the battery at-3- The closing of this circuit in G will therefore change the electro-magnets Eand E and operate the signals B and G in the manner. before explained. A branch circuit from the point 2 leads to the revolving, electro-motor N, which is composed of a number'of electro-magnets, an n n n u, ar ranged circularly around a wheel, n, which revolves rapidly by means of the successive action of the magnets n n, 8m, upon the armatures attached toits periphery. This device is old and well known and requires no further explanation; A pin, p, strikes the extremity of the bent lever f f at each revolution of the wheel 11, and causes thealarm-bell P to ring continuously as long as thecircuit is closed By an inspection of Fig. 8 it will be seen -[that a train passing along the track from left which the circuit-closer m y is situated, when the relay-magnet M will be brought; into action and the local circuit in G broken, when the signals B and Gwill return to their former position and the bell P cease ringing.

Fig. 5'shows the manner in which the circuit-closer is operated by the passage of a locomotive or train. A strong metallic lever,Q, is pivoted at q,'its short end being nearly in contact with the outer edge of the rail R and projecting slightly above it, being supported in that position by a strong spring, S, which just described, causing the fork t to dip into the vessels S S, containing mercury or other suitable conducting material, and the electrical connection is thus formed between the wires 7 7. The vessels S S are inclosed and protected by a suitable metallic .box, '1.

Fig. 7 shows a modification in the method of accomplishing this result. Here the lever Q, is attached to a piston, u, by means of a piston-rod, u. The piston u works air-tight in a-cylinder, U, connecting, by means of a passage, K, with a smaller cylinder, V, also fitted with an air-tight piston, 11, provided with a stem, '0. The impact of the wheel upon the lever Q forces down the piston u,and the pneumatic pressure generated thereby in the cylinder Uis transmitted through the passage K and presses thepiston o forcibly upward. The stem 'v"'i s thus caused to press the springs a: and y into ontact'and close the circuit between the wires 7 7, as before.

Fig. 9 is a diagram, showing the application of the signal to a switch. R is the movable rail, which, when brought into correspondence with the rail of the side track R, opens the circuit between o'and 'w" by means of mechanism hereafter to be more particularly explained. This acts upon the eleetro-magnet E at any required distance, which operates the signaling apparatus, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4. Fig. 6 isa diagram showing the manner in which the circuit-closer is arranged with a switch. R is the rail, which is connected by the rod W to the cam w. -\Vhen the latter is in its normal position, asshown in the figure, the springsw and w" are pressed together and the circuit is closed; but if the rail R be moved to the position shown by the dotted lines, the cam w will be thrown to the right and the springs 10 and' w will separate and interrupt the circuit, as above shown. Fig. 3 shows a mode of arranging the lever D so as ,to act upon thespindle A witha single roller,

d. The retractile spring 0 is arranged, in this instance, so as to act upon an arm, 0, attached to the spindle A, instead of being attached to D, as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 shows a planview of the spindle A and signal 13, showing a manner of operating it from the lever D by mm 1 v 3 ineans of a short crank or arm, A, attached to the spindle, andconnected with the lever Dbyarod,i. p

\Vhen the apparatus is used in connection with a switch or draw-bridge it-is usually preferable to operate the electro-magnets E and E with a directcurrent from the circuit-closer, without the intervention of relays. The battery may beplaced in any part of the circuit which may be found most convenient in practice. In order to arrest the spark which is oecasioned by the breaking of the circuit upon the surface of the mercury or metallic filings, the surface may be covered with glycerine in suitable quantity.

We will here remark that we are notaware that a revolving clectromotor for actu ati mg the hammer or clapper of the alarm-bell ofan electric signaling apparatushas ever before been employed, and as there are revolving electromotors of various difl'erent constructions well known to the publie,fwe deem it expedient to remark here that we wish to cover the co mbi nation with an electric signaling apparatusand an alarm-bell of a revolving electric-motor of any suitable construction.

\Ve are aware of United States Letters Pat-1f ent No. 76,748, in which two electro-magnets are arranged to act upon the same armature in a telegraphic relay; but in this case the two eleetromagnets are included in the same cir cuit and operated simultaneously, while in our device the two electromagnets are in distinct circuits and are brought into action alternatey. In the former case a permanently-magnetized armature must, of necessity, be em ployed, while in the latter the armature must be of unmaguctized soft iron.

Te do not claim spec fically the combination, with the rail of a railroad track, of a lever provided with a weight or spring, and arranged to close an electric circuit, as this device is shown in the English patent of Edward Tyer, (No. 52, January 10, 1854,) and also in the United States patent of Thomas S. Hall, May

17, 1870, (No. 103,174,) neither do we claim, in generahthe closing onhreaking of an elee trie circuit by means of an attachment to the movable rail of a railway track, as this is described in the English patent of A. H. Perry, (No. 809,) March 28, 1863, and also in'the United States patent of T. S. all, February 26, 1867,. (No. (52,414.)

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure 'by Letters Patent, is.-

1. The combination of the electromaguet E,

' armature a, lever I), and rollers d (I, one or both, with the spiral track a. .vertieal spindle A, signal B or 0, either or both, substantially in the manner and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, with the rail R, of the compound lever Q, Q, the fork t, and vessels S S, containing mercury or other suitable material,in the manner and for the purpose speci-I fied. k1 3. The combination of therail It, md W,cam

w, and circuit-closing springs w w", substantially as and for the purpose-specified.

4. The combination of the lever Q, cylinders UV, pistonsn. e, andsprings w y, substantially as and'for the purpose specified.

5 The combination, with'an electric signaling apparatus, of a revolving electro-motor for operating the hammer of an alarm-bell, substantially as specified. v I

v 6. The combination of the electro-magnets M N, armature 1n, and lever H, when the. magnets M N are in separate and independent circuits, and arranged to be brought into action alternately, for opening and closing a local circuit operating a signal in a railwaysignaling apparatus, substantially as herein specified.

STEPHEN O. HENDRICKSON. FRANK L. POPE. I Witnesses:

M. M. LIVINGSTON,

T. B. Bnnonnn. 

